Netvuze ~ Tips and tweaks to Simplify Web life

NPS vs UPS : A Deep Dive Comparative analysis

2025-03-24T01:38:00.006+05:30

As we know, with the Govt. of India notifying the new pension regime - UPS, the Central Govt. employees covered under NPS would be given a one time, irrevocable option to opt for enrollment in to the UPS scheme.

While many of the Central Government employees are confused given the long service tenure most of them are left with, it would be worth if we could carry out a figures based comparative analysis for the same.

Key documents

Before we proceed further, some important official web resources are listed as under:

Document description	Offlicial Web resource
PFRDA Gazette notification dated 25-01-2025(Introduction of UPS)	eGazette link
PFRDA Gazette notification dated 19-03-2025 (Detailed regulations of UPS)	eGazette link
OPS vs NPS vs UPS-Key differences, benefits and drawbacks	CRA- Protean's link

The Comparative Analysis : UPS vs NPS

Now, coming to the analysis, we have developed a MS excel based application for the said comparison, that comprises of two methods :

Method -1 : It is suitable for those who have joined in the last few years, preferably within the tenure of 7th CPC.
Method -2 : It is suitable for all Central Govt. beneficiaries who are NPS beneficiaries. (This method is still under development)

Download the Excel utility : <<Download Link>>

N.B.: This is a developing story.

Privacy paradox and Whatsapp's new Privacy Policy 2021

2021-04-21T01:43:00.012+05:30

People say that they have high regards and value for their privacy but often get lured to give away personal information for some small discounts or benefits and many times for nothing at all. This phenomenon is known as the " Privacy Paradox". However, Prof. Daniel Solove of George Washington University Law School argues that ' Privacy Paradox is a myth.' He concludes that privacy law should focus on regulating the architecture that structures the way information is used, maintained and transferred. [1]

This has wide-ranging relevance in this context.

So, What's the big change in Privacy policy of WhatsApp that's causing a hue-and-cry ?

The update in privacy policy primarily revolves around how users interact with businesses on WhatsApp. So, from 15th May 2021 onward, user's chats with businesses having Facebook as their technology/ hosting / data processing services provider, can be used by Facebook for various marketing purposes which may include advertising on Facebook. For instance, your flight information, transactions details that you have shared with your Airline's Whatsapp Business account, nature of financial products/stocks bought through your stockbrocker's Whatsapp Business account or your holiday plans that you might have shared with your Travel planner's Whatsapp Business account can go into the hands of third parties.

Which privacy features remain unchanged ?
WhatsApp has clarified that private messages to friends, family, co-workers, etc. remain end-to-end encrypted and can be seen by the end-users only. Location sharing feature is also end-to-end encrypted to the person with whom location is being shared. So, threats to your personal space are less in using WhatsApp unless someone hacks your phone or WhatsApp itself collects and tracks other associated unencrypted data (e.g, the metadata) behind the door and utilizes them in an undisclosed way !

What sort of details are currently being shared by WhatsApp with Facebook ?

Account registration information (your phone number), transaction data (it’s started with the introduction of payments feature), mobile device information, service information, diagnostic information, IP address.

What if a user doesn't accept the new privacy policy ?

If the new privacy policy is not accepted by you till 15th May 2021, WhatsApp will not delete your account. However, you won't have full functionality of WhatsApp until you accept. For a short time, you'll be able to receive calls and notifications, but won't be able to read or send messages from the app.

So, what alternative options do we have ?

Signal Messenger by non-profit Signal Foundation and Telegram by Telegram FZ LLC are strong contenders to Whatsapp.

Source: Web Share

The above data clearly highlights to what extent our personal data can be accessed by these apps.

Now, here we come up with a brief comparison of the three apps from the security, privacy and utility aspect :-

As evident from the above comparison, on the privacy and security front, Signal scores higher than WhatsApp and Telegram. In WhatsApp chat messages are end-to-end encrypted but it logs a significant amount of metadata in its servers (that is mentioned in the previous info-graphics: What data each app collect from your phone?) , but in Signal, in addition to chats being end-to-end encrypted, a significant amount of sender's metadata is also end-to-end encrypted through the 'Sealed Sender' feature. Further, metadata logging is minimal, limited to the one's that are essential to run the service.

Chat back-up is much more secure in Signal which can be stored in local device in encrypted form, whereas in both WhatsApp and Telegram chat back-up is stored in cloud and is not encrypted.

The source code of both Telegram and Signal being open-source lend a higher credibility being available to software developer's and cyber security experts around the world for public scrutiny rather than WhatsApp which has closed-source code.

Coming to the utility aspect, WhatsApp outscores the other two with some unique features like Status feature, ergonomic cloud back-up, rich repository of sticker and emoji packs and of course a huge user base. However, many other essential features as evident from the comparison table above are almost the same for all 3 apps.

The Controversial, Discriminatory and Unethical aspects :

1. The proposed privacy policy doesn't have any opt-out option , if one doesn't agree to WhatsApp policy of sharing personal data in business chats for use by Facebook for marketing purposes where Facebook is chosen as stakeholder by the concerned businesses, WhatsApp will simply deny its services to the user, which is outrightly unilateral.

2. Sheer discrimination and double standards lies in the fact that European Union (EU) users enjoy the opt-out option for denying their personal information to be processed for marketing purposes owing to the stringent General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in EU. In essence, WhatsApp is exploiting the vulnerability and void created due to lack of Data Protection Law in India.

3. Recently, Competition Commission of India has lodged a suo motu case against Whatsapp and Facebook, alleging that with the new privacy policy ,WhatsApp may abuse its dominant market position with India having 340 million+ users out of a total of 500 million + users worldwide, as on date. Also such, excessive data collection can have anti-competitive implications. [2]

Way ahead: -

1. With the information at our disposal as elaborated above, I hope we are better placed on whether to accept the new privacy policy of WhatsApp or not. It is entirely a personal decision. If one accepts it, it is strongly advised to be very cautious in sharing information over business chats.

2. Alternative Instant messaging apps like Signal which provide much better security and privacy with almost similar utility features are a welcome way forward. Although their features might not be as mature as WhatsApp and are still developing.

3. Government of India surely needs to pace up its proceedings to come up with a comprehensive Data Protection Law to stop such unilateral, arbitrary high-handedness by these Big Tech Companies. With significant chunk of our activities moving online - be it social networking, e-commerce, banking, e-learning, entertainment, etc., such autocratic acts amount to violation of Fundamental Right to Life and Personal Liberty (enshrined in Art. 21 of the Constitution) with Right to Privacy being an integral part of it as adjudicated by Hon'ble Supreme Court of India. [3]

References:

[1] Paper publication: 'The Myth of the Privacy Paradox' - Daniel Solove

[2] CCI's suo motu case against WhatsApp and Facebook due to its New Privacy Policy 2021

[3] Landmark Judgement by SCI in 'Justice K. S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) and Anr. vs Union Of India And Ors' case

How to send a Whatsapp message to a mobile number without saving it in your contacts

2020-04-20T23:01:00.001+05:30

Whatsapp by default doesn't allow us to send messages without saving a mobile number in your contacts. However, often we need to send whatspp messages to persons whose mobile number we don't intend to save in our phone's contacts.

So, here is a nifty trick. Open the browser in your phone (preferably Chrome) which has Whatsapp installed in it. In the address bar just type : wa.me/ followed by the country code without + sign, followed by the mobile number to which you intend to send the message.

For instance, to send a whatsapp message to a mobile no. in India, say, 98048XXXXX (with India's country code being +91), one needs to type wa.me/9198048XXXXX in the address bar of the browser and tap on the result as shown in the screenshot below :

You will then be redirected to a screen which will look like the screenshot as under.

Click on 'Message' button and you are all set for the Whatsapp chat with the unsaved contact number.

Aarogya Setu App : How it works and why every smartphone user in India should use it to combat COVID-19 crisis

2020-04-08T02:12:00.000+05:30

Aarogya Setu is a mobile App developed by Government of India to empower Indians to combat the COVID-19 crisis.It is currently available in iOS and Android platforms.The main features of the App are :-

1. The app estimates your risk of Corona virus (COVID-19) infection based on whether you have ever come in proximity to a person who has tested positive for COVID-19.

2. It has a self-assessment test that will enquire you with a set of questions to assess whether you have the symptoms of COVID-19 and provides relevant advice.

3. It features the Do's and Don'ts, safety measures to be taken against COVID-19, helpline numbers and other stuff to create awareness among the people to combat against the pandemic. Govt. of India (GoI) is continuously updating the app to provide the latest information and updates.

Now, coming to How this App works (in brief) according to sources from GoI :

Upon installation, the App requires to switch-on Bluetooth and GPS to "Always".The App detects other devices with the Aarogya Setu app installed that have come in the Bluetooth / GPS proximity of your phone and captures this information to prepare a social graph. In the unfortunate case of any of those recent contacts test positive, the App calculates your risk of infection based on recency and proximity of your interaction and recommends suitable action.

Based on the above working principle of the App, it is pretty clear that the efficiency of this App can increase when more and more users in India install and use it since it leverages App-to-App communication between the phones in Bluetooth / GPS proximity.Further, it will facilitate faster tracking and tracing of infected individuals by Govt. agencies.

However, it is not clear whether the App would require Internet connectivity all the time as the same hasn't been explicitly clarified by any official of GoI till date.Further, needless to say many people in our country don't own a Smartphone.Hence, such individuals even if infected can't be detected with this initiative.

Allaying privacy concerns, Principal Scientific Advisor to GoI has tweeted that the App has a privacy-first design and all communication from the App to other devices and server is encrypted and secure which has been rigorously tested.

In these trying times, it is indeed an innovative initiative and inspite of certain inconvenience like keeping Bluetooth and GPS "Always ON",privacy concerns etc. we should focus on the larger objective and make the best use of it to combat and triumph over COVID-19.

Download Link : Android Users | iOS Users

Source : Tweets by Principal Scientific Advisor, Govt. of India (GoI)

Filing IT returns online sans the hassles to post ITR-V

2015-07-19T15:30:00.000+05:30

With the launch of e-Verification system last Monday, The Income Tax Department has finally implemented a landmark reform in public interest to make Income Tax return filling process completely online.
The bone of contention, printing and posting ITR-V to CPC, Bengaluru for verifying your filed returns has been done away with (Although it still remains an option), which diminished the convenience of the process - online right from downloading forms, preparation, upload to submission of returns.
The e-verification system empowers the common Tax payer with two options : -

Aadhar-based OTP verification in which a OTP will be sent to the Tax-payer's Aadhar linked mobile no. to verify the return.
EVC (Electronic Verification Code) which would be sent on request to the IT Deptt. registered mobile no. and Email ID of the Tax assesse.However, this option would be valid for those with a Taxable Income of INR 5 lakh or less without any claim of refund.

The process remains same upto submission of returns.To get started with e-verification in your e-filling account, navigate to e-File in the top Navigation bar >> eVerify Return.

You would get the options for Aadhar-based OTP verification or EVC generation and verification.

On selecting the Aadhar option (Option 3), first timers would be prompted for Aadhar linking, after it's successfully linked to your PAN database, e-verification can be done with OTP.

However, the loopholes are still pretty succinct.For instance, in case you don't have your Aadhar or your mobile no. in Aadhar database is not updated, your only option to e-verify is by EVC route, that too if you have Taxable income not over Rs. 5 lakh or don't have any refund claim.Else, the only fallback option,considering one is not going for the paid Digital Signature verification process, is the conventional route of posting ITR-V to CPC.
Still this widely acclaimed reform will definitely add to the convenience of the Tax-payer. Happy e-filling !

Budget '15 : Run-up and our Expectations

2015-02-22T16:59:00.000+05:30

As the Modi Govt is just days away from tabling its first full-fledged budget for this fiscal, a lot of expectation is permeating the air around us.The Govt with its continued efforts for socio-economic reforms should be headed for a long-term & sustainable growth agenda.

Let's check out the Key efforts in this pre-budget run up : -

Spearheading implementation of Goods & Services Tax (GST).
Transparent & judicial allocation of key natural and national resources - coal blocks, spectrum, and more in the offing.
Raising FDI limits to boost investments & capital outlay in critical sectors.
Promulgating ordinances - Over 9 ordinances have been promulgated in the last 9 months of the Union Govt. in key areas like Insurance, Land acquisition, Coal mines, Motor vehicles, Securities Law taking action against Ponzi schemes and so on.While, this has the positive impact of keeping the economy cruising with the right momentum & pace with well-defined timelines for implementation of schemes & projects keeping the disruptive parliamentary processes at bay by the weening executive.However, the President has advised the Cabinet to exercise caution as a hurried approach without a 360 degree review of the concerned aspects could have detrimental effects.

Having done with the run up, let's go through the general Expectations from the Annual Financial Statement 2015 : -

Simplified Taxation : - This alone is the single most factor influencing every Indian.A simplified Direct Tax structure, straight-forward, non-stratified deduction mechanism along with steps to widen the Tax net & reach, are undeniably the most watchable features of the upcoming budget.

Higher tax incentive would have significant impact as it would boost the National Savings Rate which has declined to ~31% down from 35% last year, a majority of which would be converted into potential investments through financial intermediaries further bolstering the economy.It would be indeed prudent to rely on domestic funds instead of showing excessive exuberance on foreign inflows over-stressing Current Account.

In Indirect Tax segment, GST is the poster boy that can revolutionize India's economy & its regulatory framework boosting a pro-Business image and scaling up its Ease-of-doing-Business indices.Hence,the budget should come with a timeline & go-live date for the GST.

Massive job creation : ~90% of jobs in India are in the informal sector.Massive job creation in the formal sector is the need of the hour.There are 4 primary objectives that the budget should address in this perspective : -

Expanding formal sector & facilitating the increase in the size of enterprises : There are over 50 million enterprises in India, of which only 7500 have a capital outlay of over 10 crore.With close to 85% of the manufacturing enterprises employing not more than 50 people, expansion has become all the more indispensable.
Rapid Urbanisation : Instead of bringing people to the jobs, the focus should be on bringing jobs to the people, pragmatic planning and creation of Smart cities to prevent over-stressing of existing Urban ecosystem due to mass migration of people from rural areas to the existing metropolises.China has followed such a program developing over 375 such cities assisted by Minimum Wage Program leading to mass migration of people from farm to factories.
Revolutionizing education sector : Empowering the schools & colleges to crack the consolidated puzzle of cost, quality and scale will lay the broad underpinning.New Education Policy launched later last month can prove to be the guiding light in the thematic areas of School and Higher education. The Right to Education Act is required to be suitably amended to have an objective approach towards long-term & practical aspects and outcomes of education, like skill development, innovation, job-orientation.
Land & labour reforms : - Both the issues are critically sensitive, hence a wrong step forward can lead to paralyzing the situation.A clear roadmap for land acquisition powered by land title guarantees will not only ensure faster commencement of projects but also less state resources and energy in acquisition issues. Labour reforms should be envisaged with two broad perspectives - first encouraging states to alter laws and ensuring flexibility and secondly maintaining a status quo over the hire-&-fire policy.

Boosting Public & Private Investment : - This is a key indicator to meet long-term economic goals & infrastructure building.Public funds are required to be judiciously utilised to build infrastructure with a parallel promotion to private investments with Effective PPP projects hitting the bull's eye in this perspective.Public assets can be given in private hands for operation & maintenance for optimal utilisation of available assets.Adequate channels of funding should be ensured to private entities with policies to empower the Banking and Finance sector.A National Asset Management Company could be created to advice banks on offloading Non-performing assets by their strategic sale thereby enabling them to write off those bad assets from their Balance sheets which was ratified by RBI in its latest policy review.

Delving into the sector wise outlook, IT sector for instance has scores of innovations sprouting in the form of Start-ups.In fact, India is having the 4th largest Start-up ecosystem but no formidable policies to boost the ecosystem with Angel investors still jittery due to the prevailing IT rules and regulatory framework.Similarly, the Health sector requires renewed focus on Preventive Medicines and Healthcare, promotion of Generic drugs and a transparent machinery for Drug pricing.

Revitalising SEZs : The 'Make in India ' campaign has been launched by the Govt. with the objective of fueling domestic Manufacturing & Investment.Hence, setting up of National Investment & Manufacturing zones are to be fast-tracked. Reviving the SEZ from regulatory issues and dictatorial tax burdens of Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) and Dividend Distribution Tax (DDT) remains the key policy factor.The MAT which was 7.5% in 2007 has steeply scaled upto 18.5% which needs to be curbed within 10% as per expert opinion to provide the SEZs with a much needed breather.

Boost to disposable income :- The budget should have adequate instruments to boost disposable income of the people that would boost consumption and raise Consumer Goods Index.A strategic formulation of excise and customs will redefine the focus in this perspective.A prolonged period of soft growth and strong inflation has dented consumer's spending ability and the trend has to be reversed to boost the GDP as well as IIP. On the supply side, although inflation has moderated, FMCG are flooding in abundance, food inflation is still high hovering around 7%, entailing a overhaul for food & agri-production and logistics.

Transparent regulatory framework : - Regulatory uncertainty continues to be one of the key concerns of the businesses & investors.A litigation-free coherent and open-ended dispute resolution mechanism and a Uniform tax code as promised by GST is of paramount importance in clearing up the air.Implementing Lokpal & notifying rules for Whistle Blower Protection Act simultaneously draws relevance in putting up a transparent and accountable Governing facade.

Integrated Development programmes and Citizen services : - With the foundation stone for "Co-operative Federalism" being laid with the advent of NITI Aayog, Centre-State relations are being taken to a new level, paving the way for higher allocations to States from the Union exchequer.Budget allocation for " Digital India " programme would be crucial, envisioning digitization of citizen services, promoting e-literacy, boosting IT and ITeS sectors,creating formidable Telecom and Broadband infrastructure, self-sufficiency in electronics manufacturing within the ambitious 2018 target of the project in transforming India into a digitally empowered information society and knowledge economy.

On a parting note, a judicial mix of austerity by cutting bad expenditure on defunct schemes and projects running to feed the vested interests of a handful, clearing the archaic regulatory cholesterol blocking the arteries of growth and prudent investments for attaining the long-term goals should be the objective of the Budget.With the adrenaline of ambition and aspirations running high among the citizens and the corporate alike, it remains to be seen whether the Govt. can do justified barethread balancing act between being pro-citizen and pro-corporate.

Stats Courtesy : Press Information Bureau, NSSO

UAN : Getting Started with a Portable EPF corpus

2014-10-19T11:35:00.002+05:30

Image Courtesy : thehindubusinessline.com

With EPF portability now a reality, gone are the days of frisking by employers for EPF transfer and fund withdrawals.Switching jobs will no more give nightmares for your hard-earned PF corpus, thanks to UAN ( Universal Account Number ) scheme launched by the Union Government few months back.

Hon'ble PM Shri Narendra Modi has officially unveiled the scheme during the Shramev Jayate programme on 16th October 2014 in which he announced that UAN of 4.17 crore EPF subscribers have already been processed by EPFO. According to EPFO, UAN has been allotted to PF members by converting the existing accounts of employees for whom employers have uploaded Electronic challan-cum-return for January to June 2014.

Coming to what UAN actually means ..
Universal Account Number (UAN) acts as an umbrella ID linked to multiple member IDs allotted by different establishments (read employers) you have been employed with.Whenever you switch your job, your new employer will allot a new EPF member ID which is required to be linked to UAN so that you can carry on with the same EPF account without any hassle.

So, what's the Employer's responsibility ..
UAN becomes portable only after it has been seeded with KYCs i.e., Bank account details , PAN card etc. duly verified by Employer's Digital Signature Certificate.

Now, the question is how to obtain UAN and get a working UAN based EPF a/c.

First Check your UAN status. You need to put down your existing PF A/c no. that you may get in your salary slip.If your UAN is ready, it gives the message - "Your UAN is allotted, kindly get your UAN No. from your employer."
After getting your UAN from your employer, Activate it.
After activation, one can access the UAN services (many are still under implementation) on UAN Member Portal.Services include downloading EPF A/c. passbook, UAN card, updating profile and KYC details, filing transfer claims.In future, one can also get withdrawals from PF directly to one's listed Bank account.

Flowchart depicting the UAN Member portal and its services. Courtesy :EPFO

If all goes well, this surely will be a landmark step towards e-Governance and welfare of organised sector employees.

How to cope up with Online Transactions that have failed midway

2014-05-11T19:08:00.000+05:30

Failed Online transactions are quite common, the reasons may be numerous, right from providing wrong login credentials of your Internet banking Account or Credit/Debit card , failed internet connection, insufficient funds, expired Debit/Credit card and many more.But, what is most frustrating when the transaction amount gets debited from your Account, but still the transaction fails to complete.

Well, it's natural to feel miserable but we need to understand in simple terms, what may have gone wrong, so that appropriate actions could be initiated to resolve the issue at the earliest.Online transactions involve a complex set of processes.Let's take a look at the simplified version of process flow involved.

Simplified Flow Diagram of an E-commerce transaction (Arrows in red show the processes, one or more of which might have failed to complete after successful fund transfer)

The flow diagram above depicts the entire transaction processes along with the special case of failed transaction when funds have been transferred from your Account to Merchant's Account.The failure could be anywhere between Bank Confirmation processes, Payment Gateway response, Merchant's server response that usually presents a money receipt or any undesirable activity in the User's computer that might hinder completion of the transaction.

How such partial transactions involving funds debited from User Accounts completed generally ?

In most cases the issue is settled either with a settlement and update at Merchant's server in 3-4 working days (as in the case of most online Bill payments) or else with a reverse settlement i.e, the deducted amount is credited back to your Bank Account in 3-4 working days(as done in IRCTC ).

In the former,Transaction is completed when the information along with the bank confirmation is updated on Merchant's server through back-up channels which may take 3-4 days or more.

What initiatives are to be taken ?

To be doubly sure you might take the following initiatives.

Contact the Merchant to confirm whether they have received the payment.If they have they will issue a receipt and deliver the Product/service intended.
If the Merchant claims it hasn't received the amount, contact the Helpdesk of the Payment Gateway with the Transaction details like, Transaction ID, Amount, date and Merchant name to whom payments were made.They have logs of the transaction status and can initiate the rest of settlement process with the Merchant.

Usually, they are sufficient for solving your issue, if not you have to prepare for further escalations.

How to avoid such situations ?

The user has little to do than just be a patient spectator.A prudent stance would be to avoid any browser activity while the transaction is in process even if it seems to hang for few minutes.In many cases the "Payment Successful" notification pops up after minutes of wait.
Try to do your transactions on a stable and reliable internet connection.
Avoid online payments during peak hours if not urgent.(For instance if you book railway Tickets on IRCTC right after 8 am when booking starts and traffic load on the servers are high , you are more likely to have a failed transaction)
Make your Bill Payments at least a week in advance, so that even if something like this occurs it gets resolved before the Due date.
Don't make repeat payment before consulting the Payment Gateway or Merchant.

Get free shipping from Flipkart for under Rs.500 purchases

2014-05-08T21:26:00.001+05:30

In a major leap towards promoting m-commerce and increasing conversion rates, Flipkart has launched free shipping for purchases of under Rs. 500 made from its mobile App.Usually Flipkart charges between Rs. 40- Rs.60 for under Rs.500 purchases depending on the seller when the same purchase is made through its website while purchases grossing more than Rs. 500 mostly come with free shipping.But with the Flipkart app now you can buy products grossing under Rs. 500 in a single purchase and still get free shipping.The offer is valid for products from the seller WS Retail Pvt. Ltd. which sells a wide range of products across popular categories like electronics, books, fashion and lifestyle.

The App is available on Android, iOS and Windows Phone platforms.
The offer is a limited period one and is liable to be withdrawn without any prior notice by Flipkart, so just tap-n-shop to make the most of this unique opportunity.

Top 10 Reasons for Webpages not opening inspite of Internet Access

2014-04-13T17:44:00.000+05:30

Troubleshooting internet access on your PC/laptop can sometimes drive you to your wit's end, even if everything seems to be OK.What's noteworthy here is that your internet access device - dongle/modem/router may indicate that it's connected,but you don't get internet access.So, in all probability here are the possible issues you might have got stuck into.
1. DHCP issue : A DHCP issue is the most likely reason why PC/laptops or other devices don't get Private IP address automatically from router or gateway which is configured as the DHCP server. DHCP or " Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol " Server on LAN automatically assign private IP addresses when a host comes online.

So, in such a situation when we check the Network adapters "Local Area Connection" or " Wireless Network Connection", it show the status as "Unidentified Network" or "Limited or No Connectivity".On double clicking the Network adapter and clicking on " Details " it will show a system IPv4 address of type 169.X.X.X which confirms DHCP is not working.

A step-by-step approach to deal with this :

Restart your computer and Router/Gateway you use to connect to the internet.
If the issue persists, then access your Router/Gateway configuration to confirm whether the DHCP server on it is enabled.It is most commonly found in LAN settings option in the Router/Gateway Management console.
If the above two steps fail, enter manual private IP in TCP/IP settings of your Computer.

If these steps fail, then the issue might be with the LAN/WiFi adapter of your computer or Router's LAN or WLAN interface.For further resolution get ahead with step #5.

2. DNS issue : The DNS or Domain Name system is responsible for mapping domain name or URL we type on the browser's address bar to corresponding server's IP address.

To check whether DNS is working on your computer, open command prompt and type the command nslookup and hit enter.The result will show whether DNS is working on your system.

System unable to connect to Primary Resolving DNS server

DNS server not connected

There may be issues with your ISPs DNS, so you may switch to public or open DNS like :
Google Public DNS : 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4
OpenDNS : 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220

To resolve this, check whether your router's DNS settings is set to Automatic.If it doesn't work select the manual setting and enter the pubic or Open DNSs as given above.You may also update manual DNS settings in TCP/IP settings of your Computer.

Once done,open command prompt and type nslookup and hit enter, then type any domain name say, www.google.com and hit enter. You will get a response with the corresponding server's IP, if DNS is working.

A system properly connected to DNS server

3. Proxy settings in Internet browser : Disable any Proxy settings on your browser and restart your Computer for the changes to take effect.

4. Clear Browsing data : Some cookies or Temporary Internet files on your Computer may block loading of webpages partially or totally.Clear Browsing data (that includes Cookies, caches, Temporary Internet files, etc.) and restart your browser and see if it fixes the issue.

5. Issue with your PC's LAN or WiFi driver : To get started with testing your LAN or WiFi adapter, first make sure that its Status is Connected (to the Router/Gateway).If it is showing Unidentified Network or Limited or No Connectivity, follow step #1.

Once it is showing connected, open Command prompt and ping the Router IP, if your computer is connected to the Router/Gateway, ping Reply will come from Router.Make sure you know the Router IP.

Successful Ping statistics to Router IP : 192.168.1.1

If you don't get a reply, then the best way to determine whether there are issues with your computer's LAN or WiFi is to check the same with a different computer.If you get the ping from your router after connecting another computer using the same LAN cable or WiFi, then issue is definitely with your former Computer's LAN / WiFi adapter. Try re-installing the correct version of LAN/WiFi drivers compatible with your Computer's OS.If it doesn't work, it is time to call your hardware technician for checking LAN/WLAN adapter hardware issues.

6. Issue with Router or Access point : Power cycling( i.e. powering OFF and the put ON again) the Router or Access point is the most common solution as the hardware may hang due to prolonged use or any other unidentified reason.If this fails, then it may be required to be reset and reconfigured.

7. Corrupt TCP/IP protocol stack : To recover a corrupt TCP/IP protocol stack, go to Command prompt and type the following then hit enter :

netsh int ip reset

8. Incorrect firewall / antivirus settings : A fresh antivirus/ Firewall install or an update may stall your internet connection.Sometimes multiple antivirus / firewall products have conflicting behaviour, so try to have a single comprehensive product or you have to tweak with the settings of individual products.Also you may lower the security settings of your antivirus/ firewall or even disable it for sometime to check whether it is really the culprit.

9. Malware / virus : Install a a good Total Internet Security Suite in your system, keep it updated and run regular scans to avoid any malware mischiefs.

10. Issue with the Browser : If steps #3 and #4 have failed to restore your browser to normal operations, chances are some settings/files of the browser have gone corrupt.You could then Reset the Browser to Default Settings.If still no result, try with a different browser or uninstall and re-install your current browser.

Use Android Smartphone as Compass without any App

2014-03-30T10:15:00.000+05:30

There are several free Compass apps on Google play, but why cram your phone's memory with one more App when you can do away with just a simple trick.You don't need internet access or GPS connectivity as long as you have Magnetic Sensor on your phone which most smartphones have.
To begin just dial the USSD code : *#0*# and then tap on Sensor button in the menu that appears.
This will show up the Magnetic sensor interface you can use as a Compass.

Magnetic Sensor functioning as Compass with the blue streak pointing North

For best results hold your phone parallel to the earth's surface and away from any possible source of Electromagnetic field.

Deserving Gadgets for Christmas and New Year 2014 wishlist

2013-12-24T21:18:00.001+05:30

With Christmas knocking at the door, here's a quick look at the best gadgets we would love to own and gift.
1. Apple Mac Pro

A master-piece by Apple launched on 19th Dec 2013, this cute monster just 25 cm in height is designed for professional photographers, multimedia buffs and ace gamers.Available in 4,6, 8 and 12 core variants, the gizmo supports 64GB DDR3 RAM, upto 12GB GDDR5 VRAM and 1 TB storage.Powered by Dual AMD Fire Pro GPU and OS X Mavericks it comes with a starting price of $2999.

2. Google Nexus 5

The Android Kitkat based smartphone with 16GB and 32GB variants is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Quad core processor, 5 inch Full ID IPS display, 2 GB RAM, 8MP camera and wireless charging support. Its price starts from $349 ( INR 28,999 in India).

3. iPad Air

Just 7.5mm thick, the iPad Air comes powered with a 64 bit A7 chip processor, 9.7 inch display and iOS 7 as the OS.Avaialable in 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB variants, prices start from $499 (INR 35,900 in India).

4. iPhone 5s and 5c

The latest flavours of iPhones are bound to be one of the top-sellers this holiday season.While iPhone 5s comes in three variants - 16GB, 32Gb and 128Gb with 64 bit A7 chip, Touch ID and 8MP iSight camera; iPhone 5c comes with a A6 chip, 4 inch display, 8MP iSight camera in 2 variants -16GB and 32GB.Price starts @ $199.

5. Sony PlayStation 4

PS 4 comes with a single chip 8 core x86 AMD Jaguar processor, AMD next-gen Radeon-based graphics engine, DUALSHOCK 4 wireless controller boasting of inherent curating capabilities to suit individual gaming styles.It is priced at $399 (INR 39,990 in India).

6. Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Gear

The Galaxy Note 3 sports a 5.7 inch HD Super-AMOLED display and comes in 2 variants - LTE version, which is powered by Quad core Snapdragon 800 processor and 3G version, which comes powered with a Octa-core Exynos processor.It includes 3GB RAM, 13MP rear camera, 2MP front camera and runs on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.
Galaxy Gear can be paired with Note 3 and features a 1.63 inch display and 1.9 MP camera.Note 3 comes at $700 in US.

7. Kindle Paperwhite

Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite comes in two variants - WiFi only and 3G. Just 9.1mm thick and with a 6 inch high resolution display, the Kindle with 2 GB storage boasts of upto 8 weeks of battery back up.The WiFi version is available at $119 (INR 9,999 in India) and the 3G variant at $189 (INR 11,999 in India).

8. Chromecast

This niftiest 2.83 inch, budget gadget by Google comes at just $35.A digital media player by profession, it can stream HD videos on your TV from internet or local network via Google Chrome browser on PC or a supported app on your phone.

9. Nokia Lumia 1020

This smarty from Nokia's stable harbouring a 41 MP camera with Pureview technology is arguably one of the best in the segment.Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Dual Core 1.5GHz processor and Windows Phone 8, it features a 4.5 inch Clearblack AMOLED display, 2GB RAM, 32 GB storage and 7GB free cloud storage and supports wireless charging.Priced at $699 off-contract and $299 on-contract(INR 41,499 in India), prices may further be lowered.
Wish you all Merry Christmas and an Awesome Year ahead !

Convert Emails to PDF using Email

2013-12-09T23:49:00.001+05:30

With each passing day novel and more user-friendly techniques of converting documents to PDF are coming to the forefront.We have numerous browser plugins and websites coming up with the facility.Google Chrome has an in-built PDF conversion module which I have already posted in detail in my post - Save Webpages as PDF without Apps or Extensions

However, PDFConvert.me comes up with a novel technique that we can use even on mobile devices.No sign-ups or registration is required.It doesn't even require you to visit any website.The documentation is simple.It specifies a set of easy-to-remember email IDs as commands to which you have to forward the mail to get the text of the email, its non-PDF attachments(Word, Excel or Powerpoint).

For instance, the body of the Email can be converted to PDF by forwarding it to pdfconvert@pdfconvert.me or if required without headers, to noheaders@pdfconvert.me

One can convert the Word, Excel or Powerpoint attachments within the Email to PDF by forwarding it to attachconvert@pdfconvert.me

A link to a webpage in the body of Email when mailed to webconvert@pdfconvert.me returns the webpage in PDF. However, when I tested it with multiple links in Email body, it returned with the PDF of webpage of first link only.

A reply Email with the PDF of Email from Pdfconvert.me

The process is quite handy and replies come within a few seconds as of now.The privacy policy of the site however states that it stores the emails on its servers till the PDF is processed and delivered after which it is deleted from its servers.

Indian Railways WiFi on Wheels: A Hands-on Experience

2013-10-26T22:41:00.001+05:30

The first WiFi-on-wheels in Indian Railways was launched with much pomp only to come out as another gruesome experience for travelers.The service is free till date and is available on some of the Rajdhani Expresses till date.

Connecting to the WiFi
To connect to the WiFi, one needs to search for the Access Point - IRWIFI. It is an open Access Point, so you can connect to it without any password in the first step.After connecting to the Access Point, open your browser, you would be redirected to Indian Railways WiFi Log-in portal.

Click on Register for Internet Access to be presented with a Registration form that would require to enter your Name, PNR No., Address, Government ID No.and Type, Coach No., Seat No., Email ID,Mobile No. and some other details.After successful submission of the form you would receive the password on your mobile via SMS. The username would be the Email ID provided during registration.
Henceforth, for every session of internet usage one has to use the Login Username and Password which are valid for the entire duration of the journey.

Coming to the performance front, the speed of the connection is pretty poor and barely sufficient for browsing and at most downloading a few mp3s as could be apprehended from the screenshot below.A considerable amount of bandwidth seems to be allocated as Upload bandwidth which is absolutely unnecessary. Instead the Download bandwidth could have be augmented for a better User-experience.

Screenshot of a speedtest on IRWIFI

Overall slow but a steady time pass while you are on-board !

Master key vulnerability - Is your Android device safe from Hackers !

2013-07-20T22:51:00.000+05:30

Earlier this month one of the most threatening vulnerabilities in the history of Android set the Android Developer and User communities abuzz -The Master Key Vulnerability, reported by Mobile security firm Bluebox Inc.More than 900 million Android devices are believed to be vulnerable to attacks on account of this right from Android 1.6.

What is Master Key vulnerability

It is basically a flaw in Android security modules which allows the code of an App (APK file) to be modified without changing its cryptographic signature.All Android apps have cryptographic signatures which Android uses to determine the legitimacy of the app.The vulnerability thus may be exploited by hackers to trick Android to believe that an App is legitimate even if it has been modified with malicious intentions.

Potential threats

Threats range from data theft, snooping to taking complete control of your Android device - making calls, SMS, call recording and more.Hackers may use the device as bots to create potentially threatening networks called Botnets to execute illegal activities.

Checking and fixing the vulnerability

Bluebox Security Scanner is a free App released by Bluebox to detect the vulnerability and affected Apps.

Google has already issued patches to OEMs (Samsung, Sony, HTC and other Android device manufacturers) to fix the issue.So, it is most likely that you may resolve the issue for your device with the latest Software update that includes OS patches and firmware updates.The update may take time depending on the hardware configuration of your device, so be patient to avoid any undesirable consequence.

For those who haven't got the update from their device manufacture, the app - Rekey (requires Root access) can check as well as patch the vulnerability.

As a precautionary measure installation of non-market apps should be avoided as they are more likely to be laden with malicious code to exploit such kind of vulnerabilities.

10 Tips and free Apps to save Smartphone Battery Life

2013-06-19T23:50:00.000+05:30

With our ever-increasing dependence on smartphones, even behemoth batteries are proving minuscule under challenging conditions.So, it's time to look out for ways to save battery power and enhance its performance.

There are some simple ways which can save a significant chunk of your Smartphone's battery life :

1. Turn WiFi off : A very common mistake is to forget to switch off your phone's WiFi even when not in use.

2. Turn GPS off : A number of apps particularly those used for navigation like maps uses GPS. So, we need to be extra careful as GPS heavily drains out battery.

3. Turn Bluetooth off : Most phones support Auto turn-off of Bluetooth after sharing of files.Using it mitigates the chances of forgetting to turn off Bluetooth after use.

4. Minimize Display Brightness : In the display settings the phones Display Brightness can be adjusted to an optimal level.

5. Screen timeout : In the display settings, Screen Timeout could be adjusted to a comfortable level say 30 seconds.

6. Network mode : The network mode can be set to 2G or GSM mode when the phone is not being used for data or video calling. 3G/WCDMA mode eats up a significant chunk of power.

7. Packet data settings : It is advisable to disable Packet Data when not using internet on your phone by navigating to Mobile network settings.

8. Service provider with good coverage and signal : Try to choose a Service provider with good coverage and stable signal strength.Good signal strength eases out the stress on your phone's transceivers (radio transmitter and receiver) and it actually radiates less power to communicate with the service provider's Signal Towers (BTS) which is good for both your phone's battery as well as your health !

9. Background services and Apps : Try to keep a tab on background services or apps you are no longer using but are eating up your phone's storage, RAM and battery.Identify and uninstall them.

10. Turn off Vibration : Vibration mode might be convenient while on the move or while in a meeting, but it also sucks more out of the battery.

Apps : There are a range of free apps on various mobile platforms, off which am listing few popular ones :-

Easy Battery Saver (Android) : Easy to use ; comes with presets like, General Saving mode, Intelligent Saving mode, Super Power saving mode, Advanced Customised mode to suite different moods and work conditions to save a lot of battery power.
Battery Doctor (Android and iOS ) : Comes up with automatic adjustments, handy power saving tips, logs and recommendations, app monitoring and more.
Battery + (Windows Phone ) : A beautiful, easy-to-use app that comes up with notifications, suggestions, statistics and quick access shortcuts to prolong battery life.

Download Online Videos directly on Smartphone

2013-06-09T22:48:00.002+05:30

With the rising trend of entertainment-on-the-move and much of our time spent outside home, we tend to watch and enjoy videos and other media items more on our Smartphones or Tablets.There are a plethora of options to download videos and music on PC or laptops from leading video sharing sites with the help of popular sites like Keepvid, Savevid, etc. and even a multitude of third party video downloading software.
But, when we want to save a video on our Smartphone, why should we use PCs as a third party to first download the video on it and then transfer it to our phone.Instead, we can download the videos directly to our phone.So, let's check out the tools and apps for 3 most popular mobile platforms - Android, iOS and Windows mobile.

Android

Multiclip Pro, Mediaclip : Both the apps available free on Google Play store have almost similar APIs.The apps have a regular browser through which one can surf videos to download. Then hit the DL button on the top right corner of the screen to download it.The app supports videos to be downloaded from Youtube and Metacafe (We tested it on many other popular video sharing sites but it didn't work).

Pros : Additionally it can also download PDF and image files.
Cons : Lots of Ads and pop-ups are pretty annoying.No support for video files of different quality or resolution.
Support : Android 2.2 and above

The other 2 popular Android apps reviewed in the post below are non-market apps.To install any Non-market app, i.e, any app from sources other than Google Play Store, you need to enable installation from Unknown sources in Application settings.To work it out, navigate to Settings >> Applicatons >> check Unknown Sources.

Update : Multiclip Pro and Mediaclip are no longer available on Google Play.

2. Tubemate (Non-market App) : It is a popular free app to download videos with a host of features.

Features :

Fast download option with multiple connections.
Convert to MP3.
Pause/Resume download.
Social media sharing
Interface similar to Official Youtube app.
Options to download videos with various resolutions and so on.

Support : Android 2.1 and above.

Cons : Works for Youtube only.

3. Wontube (Non-market App) : Another free Android app to download Youtube videos.

Support: Android 2.1 and above

iPhone (iOS)

Tubebox : It is a free iOS app that you can use to download Youtube and Dailymotion videos directly to your iPhone / iPad.

Features:

Supports Continuous / Background playback.
HD formats
Complete playlist management and search
in-App video player
Social media sharing options
Airplay support

Windows Phone OS

Tube Pro : A free Windows Phone app that you can use to download,record, share and upload Youtube videos.

Features :

Options to download in LQ, HQ and HD mode.
Sync downloaded videos with your PC
Pause / Resume downloads
Social media sharing
Complete playlist management

Support : Windows Phone 7.5 / 8

Gmail Introduces new Tabbed Inbox

2013-06-03T00:17:00.005+05:30

There has been a major update of the Gmail UI of late, with a new Tabbed Inbox to have all our emails organised, thereby furnishing a more refined look. The feature is optional and can be enabled by clicking on Configure Inbox in the Settings tab.

At present five categories are available - Primary, Social, Promotions, Updates and Forums.The feature, which Google is still rolling out worldwide across all platforms, comes after Google's previous stints with Inbox organisation - Labels and Priority Inbox.

However, the feature has a few con-sides, like you may not get to instantly view new mails hitting your Inbox.You have to check all 5 categories for that. You don't have the option to edit the Tabs either.

DSL Broadband Modem Configuration : Dlink 2730U/2750U with WiFi setup

2013-06-02T17:09:00.001+05:30

Dlink 2730U / 2750U are WiFi enabled ADSL2+ compliant Broadband modems with 4 LAN ports and 1 ADSL port.Before getting started with the configuration you need to connect it properly on your broadband line.For reference you may check our post - How to connect an ADSL Broadband Modem.

Internet Configuration

1. Open the browser and type the IP address 192.168.1.1 and hit Enter.On being prompted, enter Username : admin, Password : admin and hit Enter to login to the Modem's Configuration Interface.
On the left navigation menu, click on Management >> Settings >> Restore Default. On the right, click on the Restore Default Settings button.

2. After the modem has rebooted to default settings log in to the modem again as in Step 1.Click on Advanced Setup, on the right window, click on Add.

3. In the ATM PVC configuration, enter VPI, VCI values corresponding to your service provider.
Enter DSL Latency : Path 0
DSL Link type : EoA
Connection Mode : Default Mode
Encapsulation mode : LLC/SNAP-BRIDGING
Service Category : UBR without PCR.
Click on Apply/Save to save the settings.

4. Now, again click on Advanced setup >> WAN Service and click on Add button the right pane.

5. In the WAN Service Interface Configuration, simply click on Next.

6. In the WAN Service Configuration, we have selected PPPoE to enable multiple devices to be connected to the router for simultaneous Internet Access which is popular these days.Then, click on Next.

7. In the PPP Username and Password settings, enter the Broadband Username and Password exactly as provided by your service provider.Then check the options Enable Firewall and Bridge PPPoE frames between WAN and Local ports.Click Next.

8. In the DNS Server Configuration, ensure everything is as it's shown in the snapshot below. Click Next.

9. In the WAN Setup Summary, click on Apply/Save to finalize the settings.

WiFi Setup

1. In the left navigation menu, click on Wireless >> Basic. On the right pane, Check Enable Wireless.You may modify the SSID value which basically represents the name of your WiFi. Here, we have set SSID: Dlink, which means our WiFi would show up in the WiFi enabled devices as Dlink.

In Max Clients, enter the maximum no. of devices you wish to connect to your WiFi.

Save the settings.

2. Next in the left navigation menu, click on Security under Wireless.
Set WPS to Disabled.
Here, we are adding security through the Manual Setup AP.
Select Network Authentication : WPA-Personal
Enter your desired WiFi password in the field WPA/WAPI passphrase. This password would be required to be entered in each of your WiFi enabled device - Laptop, Tablet, Smartphone, which you wish to connect to this router's WiFi.
Select WPA/WAPI encryption : TKIP + AES.Save the settings.

Now you are done. Just reboot the modem with these settings.To reboot, click on Management >> Reboot. Then, the Reboot button on the right pane.You should be able to access internet via both LAN and WiFi.

Get started with Two-factor Authentication on Twitter

2013-05-25T16:08:00.000+05:30

Twitter recently launched a two-step authentication mechanism thereby providing a way to strengthen security of accounts of willing users.To get started :

Log in to your account.
Visit your Account Settings page.
Select Require a verification code when I sign in.

Add you phone number.
After the process is complete you would be prompted to enter a 6-digit code during each sign-in which would be sent via SMS to your phone.

Twitter Product Security Team adds that existing twitter apps wouldn't be affected by the move.However, new apps or devices would need authorization by generating a temporary password on Applications page.

40 years of Ethernet - Revolutionising Internet and Networking

2013-05-23T01:00:00.001+05:30

From connecting two Computers in a room to connecting billions of Computers worldwide, Ethernet has come a long way since the first memo on Ethernet was authored by Bob Metcalfe and Dave Boggs on 22nd May 1973 at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center.
Since then the technology has grown by leaps and bounds, standardised by IEEE, converged with optical and wireless platforms to provide an enriching data networking experience to business enterprises as well as the common man.Not only it is being used in Office LANs to connect local computers, printers,etc. but having a vast area of application including remote networking for VPN, Backbone Network equipment monitoring using VLANs by ISPs, serving Internet using Ethernet technologies like Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet, Metro Ethernet, Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol and many more.

Landmarks in Evolution

22nd May 1973 - First Memo on the Ethernet was authored.
1975 - First Ethernet patent filed with data rate of around 3 Mbps.
1980 - First Ethernet standard published called DIX after DEC, Intel and Xerox,the organisations primarily involved in its development.
1985 - Ethernet standardized as IEEE 802.3 standard with 10Mbps max. data rate.
1989 - Network equipment company, Kalpana introduces the first Ethernet Switch.
1994 - IEEE standardized 10BaseF for Ethernet over Fiber.
1995 - Fast Ethernet with 100 Mbps max. data rate was standardised as IEEE 802.3
2000 - Gigabit Ethernet with 1 Gbps max data rate was standardised as IEEE 802.3z
2001 - Metro Ethernet forum was formed to converge Ethernet over existing MPLS or SDH networks to use Ethernet as a WAN technology for Internet access.
2010 - 100 G Ethernet was standardised as IEEE 802.3ba with max data rate of 100Gbps.
2013 - IEEE 802.3's "400 Gbps Ethernet Study Group" starts research on Terabit Ethernet.Results expected by 2017.

TEPWPK4298GQ

Microsoft to end Support for Windows XP and Office 2003

2013-05-21T22:37:00.000+05:30

Software giant Microsoft Inc. has declared to end support for Windows XP and Office 2003 package on 8th April 2014 as a part of company's policy on the life cycle of products.Microsoft currently provides minimum 10 years of support for its products.It is certain that the drive will increase the penetration and sales of Windows 7 and Windows 8 operating systems.

What will it Mean ?
Those who will use XP and Office 2003 even after the deadline may face several issues as Microsoft wouldn't issue any Updates, Patches or Bug fixes.

Consequences one might face :

Security risks : Due to lack of security fixes your PC may become vulnerable to various viruses and malware.
Lack of Third party software support : Newer 3rd party Windows applications or newer versions of existing software wouldn't extend support after the dealine.
Lack of Support for new Hardware : New hardware would no longer support Windows XP as drivers for the same won't be available.

The Solution :

It's high time for Windows users to upgrade to Windows 7 or Windows 8.The minimum system requirements are a 1GHz processor, 1 GB RAM (for 32-bit version) or 2 GB RAM (for 64-bit version),20 GB Hard disk space, Directx 9 or higher graphics device.

DSL Broadband Modem Configuration : Teracom T2-B-Gawv1.4U10Y-BI

2013-05-16T00:24:00.000+05:30

Teracom T2-B-Gawv1.4U10Y-BI is WiFi enabled ADSL2+ compliant Broadband modem with 4 LAN ports.Before getting started with the configuration, make sure it is properly connected.For reference check out our post - How to connect an ADSL Broadband Modem.

Internet Configuration

1. Open the browser and type the IP address 192.168.1.1 and hit Enter.On being prompted, enter Username : admin, Password : admin and hit Enter to login to the Modem's Configuration Interface.In the left navigation menu, click on Admin >> Reboot, then select Reboot from Factory and click on Reboot button to reset the modem to Factory default settings as shown below.

2. After Reboot is complete, log in to the modem as shown in step 1.Then, in the left navigation menu, click on Configuration >> Internet Connection. Click on edit in the PPPoE setting as shown.

3. In the ATM PVC configuration, enter proper VPI, VCI settings as obtained from your ISP.Click Next.

4. Select Connection type : LLC/SNAP.

5. In WAN IP settings, select Obtain IP address automatically if not using a static WAN IP. Enable NAT and Add default route.Click Next.

6. Now enter the Broadband Username and Password as provided by your ISP. Click Next.

7.Click on Apply to finalize settings.

This completes the Internet Configuration.

Wireless Network or WiFi Configuration

1. In the left navigation menu, click on Configuration >> Wireless Network.In the Global setting, Enable Wireless Network.In the Network Name (SSID) field, enter Your WiFi Network name (You may put any alphanumeric string here that will show up as your WiFi).

For securing the WiFi, Select Security Option : Wi-Fi Protected Access2

Encryption Protocol : TKIP

Authentication Method : PSK (Pre-Shared Key)

Then enter the desired Wi-Fi password in WPA Pass Phrase field. Finally click on Confirm button at the bottom.

2. Click on MAC Address Filter under Wireless Network.Select MAC Auth to Disabled and Apply.

3. Finally click on Admin >> Reboot in the left navigation menu and Reboot the Modem from Last to finalize settings.

Your Internet and WiFi connections are now ready to roll !

10 Awesome Laptop -Tablet Hybrids and Convertibles

2013-05-13T00:14:00.000+05:30

With mobility taking center-stage, users are looking for multifunctional & multidimensional devices.Tablet-Laptop hybrids are an innovative lot in this segment that address a variety of computing needs, moods and bring up the best of both - portability, performance, flexibility between Keyboard and Touch UI, high data storage capacity, form factor, weight and more.

Acer Iconia W510

A 10.1" Windows 8 based laptop-tablet hybrid that sports 3 functional modes - laptop, tablet and a presenter. The device features a detachable keyboard dock.Powered by a 3540 mAh battery that supports 9 hours video playback, the device features a 1.5 Ghz Intel Atom dual core processor, 2GB RAM, 64 GB solid state hard drive, 1366 X 768 pixels LED backlit display, 8MP (rear) and 1.3 MP (front) camera and weighs around 1.26kg with the keyboard dock.The device is priced around US $ 700.

2. Asus Transformer Book

The 13.3" Windows 8 Ultrabook doubles up as a tablet, although quite a hefty one to fit in hands.Featuring a 1920 X 1080 Full HD IPS display, Intel Core i7 / i5 processor, 4 GB DDR3 RAM, 128 GB mSATA solid state drive in tablet mode and an additional 500 GB storage in docking mode as an Ultrabook. The device comes at a premium pricing of US $1480 as of now.

3. Asus Vivo Tab

The budget 11.6" Windows 8 tablet priced around US $499 features a 1.8 GHz Intel Atom Dual Core processor, 64 GB storage, 1366 X 768 LED backlit IPS display, 8 MP auto-focus rear camera with LED flash and a 2 MP front camera. Among accessories, the Wacom Digitizer stylus is worth a special mention.

Asus boasts of a whopping 19 hours battery life for the device with the mobile dock. It is also a winner in the portability segment with a thickness of just 8.7 mm and weighs just 675g.

4. Dell XPS 12

One of the most stylish Ultrabook convertible of the era, the device sports a seamless flip-n-fold transformation from Ultrabook to tablet.Featuring a powerful 2.6 GHz Intel 3rd Generation Core i5 / i7 processor, 4GB DDR3 RAM, 128 GB SSD storage, the Convertible sports nice Graphics performance with Intel HD 4000 Graphics processor and a 12.5" 1920X 1020 crisp HD display.
But the device priced around US $1,199 dampens spirit with its average battery life and lack of SD card slot.

5. HP Envy x2

The Netbook-sized Windows 8 based hybrid is powered by a 1.8 GHz Dual Core Intel Atom processor, 2 GB RAM, 64 GB storage and sports a vibrant 1.6" 1366 X 768 pixel display.It also fairs well in the battery performance with initial life extending up to 12 hours with keyboard dock attached.At just 1.41 kg its quite a portable one but lets us down on the performance front.
The device has a 8MP(rear) and 1.3 MP (front) camera.The Beats audi based dual speakers are designed for an enriching audio experience.The device is priced around US $ 850.

6. Lenovo Ideapad Yoga

Priced around US $1000, the convertible sports a very flexible design to transform it into a tablet.The Windows 8 Ultrabook features a powerful 1.7GHz Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB RAM, 128 GB storage, 13.3" 1600 X 900 HD IPS display with up to 8 hours batttery life.

7. Lenovo Thinkpad Helix

The yet-to-be commercially launched 11.6" hybrid Ultrabook is believed to be priced around a premium US $1500.The slate is powered by Intel Core i7 processor, 8 GB DDR3 RAM, 256 GB SSD storage with 1920 X 1080 IPS display and supports upto 10 hours of battery life with keyboard dock.

Additional features include a 5 MP rear camera with LED flash and a 2.1 MP front camera, spill-resistant AccuType keyboard and a Digitizer pen among accessories which supports 1024 levels of sensitivity on the capacitive touchscreen.

8. Microsoft Surface Pro

The 10.6" hybrid Tablet PC from Microsoft's stable runs on Windows 8 offering backward compatibility to Windows 7 applications.Sporting a 1920 X 1080 pixels Clear type Full HD display, the device features 3rd generation Intel Core i5 processor with Intel HD 4000 Graphics processor, 4GB RAM and 128 GB storage.It has a rear and a front camera each with 1.2 MP resolution. The 42 W-h battery supports not more than 5 hours which is pretty unimpressive.

Among bundled accessories, the Digital pen is of top-notch quality,pretty responsive & comes with additional features like an eraser and Right-click functionality. The price starts at US $ 899.

9. Samsung ATIV Smart PC Pro

The 11.6" Ultrabook from Samsung is just 11.89 mm thick and weighs just 888g lending it an ultra-portable status.Featuring Intel Core i5 processor with Intel 4000 HD graphics, 4 GB DDR3 RAM, 128 GB SSD storage, it sports a crisp 1920 X 1080 display.

It provides a formidable computing experience with its clamshell full keyboard, packs in 8 hours of battery life and is bundled with Samsung's proprietary S-pen and S-note.The device is priced at US $1,199 as of now.

10. Sony Vaio Duo 11

The Windows 8 Ultrabook convertible features proprietary Surf Slider design for seamless transition between Notebook mode to tablet mode and vice versa. It features a 1.7 GHz Intel Core i5 processor that could be overclocked upto 2.6 GHz , Intel HD 4000 Graphics, a 11.6" 1920 X 1080 LED backlit TFT display, 4 GB RAM, 128 GB SSD storage, a front and a rear camera each of 2.07 MP resolution.

However the battery life is poor providing not more than 4 hours at most that undermines its hefty price tag of US $ 1200.Although it has good connectivity features like 2 USB 3.0 ports, NFC, WLAN with up to 802.11n, HDMI, Ethernet and Bluetooth 4.0.
N.B. : The pricing is indicative and is subject to change.

Facebook introduces Trusted Contacts to recover inaccessible Account

2013-05-07T00:03:00.000+05:30

Have you lost access to your Facebook Account or anticipating that it has been hacked and sending out spam ?

To address this issue Facebook has rolled out a new Account security and recovery feature - Trusted Contacts in which one can take the help of real world pals to recover his/her inaccessible Facebook Account.

Although there are a host of security and account recovery features in place which one can go through by clicking on "Forgot your Password ?" link on the Facebook Homepage, that includes Identifying your Account, using your Gmail Account to reset password, password reset link by email or SMS, security questions and so on, Trusted Contacts adds a social edge.

How to get started with Trusted Contacts

To add trusted contacts, log in to your Facebook account, navigate to Security Settings, then click on Edit in Trusted Contacts then Choose Trusted contacts.

You would then be prompted to add at least 3 friends as your trusted contacts.Make sure they are your close friends whom you can call in case of emergency to recover your account.After you add them, your friends chosen in Trusted contacts would get a notification.

When you indeed need to recover your inaccessible facebook account through Trusted contacts, your friends whom you have granted the privilege would receive a security code each.You need at least 3 of these security codes to unlock our account.